


Sugar Sugar

by zombiekittiez



Series: Trick or Sheith 2020 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Candy, F/M, Fluff, Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), Getting Together, Halloween, M/M, Post Series AU, Punk if you squint, Season 8 who, TrickOrSheith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27102829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombiekittiez/pseuds/zombiekittiez
Summary: They stop at Shiro’s front step. This is where Shiro should thank him again for coming out, maybe ask in a roundabout way if Keith can make time for a quick lunch before he’s off again- if he’d even want to. If it would even be worth it to him. If it were a movie, Shiro would have a speech all ready. He’d ask Keith inside and then-Shiro’s hand makes a fist inside his pocket. He feels the rustling of plastic wrappers.“Trick or treat, Keith?”Keith stops to think. “Surprise me,” he says finally.~~Trick or Sheith Day 1: Candy
Relationships: Allura/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Trick or Sheith 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033143
Comments: 31
Kudos: 96





	Sugar Sugar

Sunday night there’s an angel on Shiro’s doorstep. 

“Huh.” He eyes the small girl with a bit of apprehension. 

“Daddy’s little angelberry,” Lance cooes, rubbing his face into Melanor’s hair. Mellie shoves him bodily away, reaching up to tug at her halo. 

“You’ve bent the wire, Papi.” She scolds. The halo does look somewhat askew. Lance pouts and Melanor looks up at Shiro imperiously. 

“Right, right.” Shiro kneels, using his human hand to steady the wire while working his prosthetic around the circle with a few judicious applications of metallic strength. He’s just about finished when he hears footsteps approaching. Allura he recognizes from the click clack of impatient six inch heels against pavement. The other steps are cautious but quick- he recognizes those for a completely different reason. Shiro finishes quickly, trying to scramble to his feet and not quite making it. A strong hand claps him beneath his elbow, hauling him up effortlessly. 

“Trick or treat,” Keith deadpans as Shiro finds his feet. 

“Happy Halloween, darlings. Shiro, I’ve brought you reinforcements. Take one million pictures, please.” Allura air kisses Shiro in the way that always makes him feel awkward and like he’s doing it wrong. “If it weren’t for this charity auction for the Olkari…” 

“Mama, you have sponsabilitees.” Melanor tells Allura with her head held high. “Mellie is fine.” 

“They grow up so fast,” Lance whispers, eyes suspiciously wet. 

Allura kisses Lance on the cheek to distract him, and the glossy red-gold lip print does wonders to draw his attention away as he scrubs at his cheek with a tissue and a compact mirror that materialize seemingly from nowhere. 

“Bedtime is ten o’clock- do _not_ let her trick you, Shiro.” Allura frowns threateningly. “That’s already an hour later than usual because it’s a holiday.” 

“Me?” Shiro protests, but weakly. 

“Don’t worry, I got it Allura. Good cop bad cop,” Keith says, amused. 

Lance snorts. “Yeah right. More like good cop, bad- Ack!” Allura hooks him neatly by the arm and drags him away toward where their limo idles at the curb. They’re sweet together. Once, early on, Lance had come to Shiro for advice, all sweat-nervous and twitchy. 

“What if I’m not good enough?” Lance had asked, eyes wide. “What if I mess it up?” 

“She’s lonely and hurting. It would be easy to make a mistake. But I’m telling you, Lance… I wouldn’t trust anyone who wasn’t you.” 

And they were married two years later. 

So.

“So.” Keith stands in that slouch-easy way of his, eyes this side of wary but smile more or less genuine. “You got an agenda or something?”

“Sorry?” Shiro asks weakly, hyper-focused on the slight quirk of Keith’s smirk. It’s been that way, lately. Much too late to do any good, his lapse into second puberty post war. 

Keith shrugs. “You always seem like you know what you’re doing.” 

Shiro shakes his head, a touch rueful. “That’s definitely not true.” 

“Mellie wants to see Aunty P and Tio Hunk.” Melanor announces, holding her hand out until Shiro takes it, tiny fingers engulfed in his huge paws. He exchanges an amused glance with Keith that lights him up inside before they fall into easy step together. Shiro tries to ignore the two step beat of his traitorous heart on the way. They’ve talked about this, okay. It’s not happening. 

Maybe there had been a minute in there somewhere, when Shiro was sitting quietly in Green’s corner, learning to human again. By the time he’d put a name to this flustering feeling around Keith it had been too late. Keith lives in the space between Marmora missions and fleeting visits planetside. A day here, an hour there. No space at all for Shiro. 

It’s been years now. In the gaps Shiro’s dated around, made a few halfhearted swipes on dating apps. He doesn’t generally make it further than two lackluster dates before Keith does something so… so _Keith_ that Shiro gives it up in a huff. He’d almost made it to date number four with the mild mannered communications officer this time, but then he’d gotten home to find a package full of strange flavored snack cakes from Daibazaal, shipped express. His note had said _see you soon_. And when Allura called the next day, Shiro had cancelled his date and made plans to take Melanor around. 

And here they are. 

Pidge and Hunk’s place is visible from a full three blocks away, the street ahead bright with orange and purple lights. Two idle science types means that their front step is always overflowing with displays, rolling fog, animatronic horrors, and the shrieks of delighted children. Shiro scoops Melanor up in one arm decisively. 

“Cover your eyes,” he instructs in his no-nonsense tone and Melanor obeys. Shiro and Keith walk past the screaming witch, the bleeding severed hands, the giant spider that drops from the top of the doorway. A skeletal wraith lurks in the shadows. 

“Oh, it’s you.” Pidge blinks, face disappointed beneath her chalky white face paint. 

“With your favorite niece.” Shiro reminds her. 

“Yeah, yeah- I’m just really looking forward to this, don’t spoil my fun.” She pushes the screen door open for them, nudging Keith in the shoulder in a friendly way. “He’s in the kitchen.” 

“Don’t mind her,” Hunk calls from inside. “She’s gunning for the kid next door. She swears he’s been trampling the flower beds.” 

“There’s delicate wiring under that mulch,” Pidge snaps, closing the door behind them and taking up her perch. 

“Does anybody actually get through her little horror show?” Keith asks. 

“They all do. We give out full sized Snickers bars,” Hunk grins. “Kid like you would have been first in line, right?” 

Keith smiles in the way he always does when anyone asks him a personal question and then pretends to be somewhat hard of hearing. 

“It smells amazing in here. What’s cooking?” Shiro asks, changing the subject and earning himself a real smile instead, exchanged quickly over Melanor’s head. 

“Pumpkin sugar cookies with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.” Hunk preens. “The Mellie special!” He waits but there’s no response. 

“Oh!” Shiro cuddles the girl in his arm gently till she peeks up through her fingers. “You can look now. Good girl.” 

“You may put me down,” Melanor says with dignity. 

“May I?” Shiro echoes, amused, but he leans down to gently deposit her on her feet. 

Mellie turns to Hunk with a winning smile that shows off her gap teeth. “Trick or treat,” she says at maximum adorableness. 

He _melts._

“Hey, you can’t give her the whole tray-” Shiro starts to protest but Hunk just hustles Mellie into the kitchen toward the cookies with wide tear-filled eyes. 

Keith’s soft laugh draws Shiro’s attention. “You’re so good with her,” he murmurs, eyes warm. 

“Yeah?” Shiro half smiles, then remembers himself. “Oh.” His smile drops. 

“Oh?” Keith prompts. 

“I guess... I probably could have handled it solo. Sorry Allura roped you into this... you didn’t need to spend your Saturday night babysitting.” Shiro sighs. 

“Is that what you think is happening.” Keith says, almost too quietly to hear. He’s looking away from Shiro, gaze fixed on a point past the window and the group of children Pidge is terrorizing for the sake of a handful of chocolate bars. 

Shiro isn’t sure how to answer that, or if he even should. Mellie and Hunk are still exclaiming over sweets in the next room. Meanwhile, Shiro has forgotten what it was ever like to hold a conversation at all. He used to be good at it, he thought. He used to be good at it with Keith, even. 

“Where are you headed to next?” He tries. It’s the wrong thing to say, maybe. Keith’s expression goes even further away somehow. 

“Dunno,” Keith says lightly. 

Then Mellie comes tripping out of the kitchen, a warm cookie in each hand for both of them. 

“We may go now,” she says when they’ve finished eating. 

“Oh yeah?” Keith asks, bemused. 

“Won’t overt-stay our welcome,” she explains seriously. 

“Right, of course.” Shiro agrees and Keith nudges him in the side warmly. 

Pidge ducks inside long enough to pocket two cookies and to shove a wrinkled snickers wrapper at Shiro. He blinks down at a miniature map of the neighborhood neatly diagrammed, with several x’s and circles. 

“Skip Sanda’s,” she advises. “The old bi-” 

“AH-hem,” Hunk corrects, putting his hands over Mellie’s ears. 

“Biiiiddy always gives out lectures and raisins.” Pidge makes a face at Hunk who makes one back over Mellie’s head.

It’s a Garrison neighborhood, so they know almost everyone and almost everyone knows them. Mellie, already the Atlas darling, is showered in praise and gifts. Griffin shoots Kitkats into her bag from ten feet away. Kinkade makes her pose for a picture in exchange for a handful of jolly ranchers. Even crag-faced Iverson softens, kneeling to hand her two boxes of Nerds with great solemnity. 

At the end of their rounds when Mellie’s feet rather begin to drag, Shiro carries her back to Hunk’s to rest and regroup. She sips at a Mellie sized bottle of water, sitting on the couch like a queen as Pidge and Hunk sort through her candy on the floor. 

“It’s all people we know,” Shiro says with a frown. “No need to be so cautious.” 

“It’s candy tax,” Pidge explains shortly. Shiro looks at her quizzically. 

“Wait, Shiro’s an only child.” Hunk pauses, clearing his throat and gesturing widely with his arms. “Candy tax is a time honored tradition wherein the elders of a tribe help to examine and sort the Halloween candy haul. In exchange, they are entitled to a small portion of this candy for personal use.” Hunk’s eyes glitter as they examine the goods spread across the coffee table. 

“So you steal candy from a child.” Shiro says slowly. 

“It’s not _stealing,_ Shiro!” Hunk sounds morally outraged. “It’s _traditional!_ ” 

“Like a tithe,” Pidge says helpfully. 

Shiro’s eyes narrow. 

Keith laughs, a low slow laugh that catches at Shiro and makes him forget for a moment that he was ever annoyed at all. “C’mon, Shiro. Everybody does candy tax. And look at her-” Mellie is starting to blink drowsily, sinking back until only the cushions are holding her upright. “And then look at them-” Hunk and Pidge gaze up at Shiro with wide doe eyes. “And tell me that Mellie really _needs_ eight packets of sour gummy worms.” 

Shiro sighs. 

“So first we scale the candy from best to worst, and then take ten percent-” Hunk says, starting to group the piles. 

“Ten percent?” Pidge’s jaw drops. “Matt always took twenty percent!” 

“Ten percent is customary,” Keith agrees. “Even in the homes.” 

“I should have left that rat bastard in space,” she grumbles, helping Hunk to sort. “Wait, no- what are you doing? Smarties are inferior candy, they go to the bottom.” 

“Those aren’t Smarties, they’re Sprees.” Hunk argues. “And Sprees are top tier.” 

“Sprees are just stale Sweettarts,” Pidge counters. “And chocolate always scales up.” 

“I like the Fireballs myself,” Keith says beside Shiro. 

“Spicy candy?” Shiro asks, turning before he registers just how close Keith is. There’s only inches between them and Keith pauses for another small smile that devastates at close range. 

“Yeah. Turns out a lot of the candy on Daibazaal is like that. Galra thing.” 

“Oh.” Once again, Shiro is reminded that this isn’t Keith’s home. No matter how much he enjoys Keith’s company, this is going to be the end of the line. He consoles himself by thinking that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Shiro doesn’t even like spicy things. He can barely handle Big Red gum. Irreconcilable differences. 

“What we really need,” Pidge says, glasses glinting maniacally, “is an _algorithm._ ” Hunk visibly brightens. 

“And that’s our cue to leave,” Shiro says smoothly. He scoops the candy, minus the small piles set aside for Pidge and Hunk’s shares, back into the plastic orange pumpkin. He turns to the couch but Keith is already shifting Melanor onto his shoulder. 

“I can…” Shiro offers but Keith shakes his head. 

“You’ve had her all day,” Keith reminds him. “And I’m here to help.” 

“Thanks,” Shiro says, though whether he means for carrying the girl or for showing up or for saving his life or for being Keith, he isn’t sure. 

“Anytime,” Keith says. 

They’re about a half a block from Shiro’s place when the limo pulls up beside them. 

“Adorable. Gorgeous. _Perfection._ ” Lance is already snapping photos with his phone before he’s even stepped out of the door. 

“Did you have a nice time?” Shiro asks, helping Allura step onto the sidewalk. Allura smiles diplomatically. 

“Did _you_ have a nice time?” she asks pointedly and Shiro examines the orange and purple lights of the house nearby with great interest. 

“Here you are,” Keith says, handing a sleepy Mellie over to her mother. Melanor clings to the front of Allura’s gown with sticky candy-grubby fingers and Allura smiles down at her with helpless fondness. 

“Is this her candy?” Lance asks with interest and Shiro hands the bucket over. Lance immediately tears the wrapper off a Tootsie pop and sticks it in his mouth. 

“Lance!” Allura looks horrified. 

“What?” Lance asks around a mouthful of sucker. “It’s candy tax.” 

Keith laughs. “Really, Allura,” he says, moving to help the girls maneuver into the vehicle. “It’s an Earth thing…” 

“Thank you,” Lance says quietly. 

“You know I love Mellie. I’ll watch her any time,” Shiro assures him. 

“Yeah. I mean, I know that, and we’re grateful but… that’s not what I meant.” Lance gives the bucket a shake and then reaches in for more candy. 

“You’re going to get a cavity,” Shiro warns. 

Lance rolls his eyes. “McClains have impeccable oral health. Anyway, this isn’t for me.” Lance holds out his hand and Shiro takes what he’s offered automatically. Fireball candies. 

“They’re his favorite,” Shiro says quietly. 

“Yeah.” Lance nods. “I wouldn’t trust anyone who wasn’t you either, you know?” 

Shiro stares in shock as Lance climbs into the limo with his wife and daughter and drives off toward their place on Diplomat Row. 

“Shall we?” Keith asks, only a little sardonically. 

“O-of course,” Shiro says hastily, shoving the candy into his pocket. “Thanks for walking me,” Shiro adds. 

“My duties as an escort.” Keith affirms. 

They stop at Shiro’s front step. This is where Shiro should thank him again for coming out, maybe ask in a roundabout way if Keith can make time for a quick lunch before he’s off again- if he’d even want to. If it would even be worth it to him. If it were a movie, Shiro would have a speech all ready. He’d ask Keith inside and then- 

Shiro’s hand makes a fist inside his pocket. He feels the rustling of plastic wrappers. 

“Trick or treat, Keith?” 

Keith stops to think. “Surprise me,” he says finally. And that’s cheating, but. 

“Close your eyes.” Shiro says and Keith obeys. “Hand.” Keith obediently extends his hand, palm up. Shiro puts the fireball candy in the center of Keith’s palm, closes Keith's fingers around it. 

Then he tugs on Keith’s wrist so that Keith steps a little closer. Shiro meets him halfway. The kiss is a brief, chaste thing- here and then gone. Shiro pulls back as Keith’s eyes flutter open in shock. 

“Maybe next time you’re in town… maybe you should give me a call.” Shiro says, feeling brave. “Let me take you out.” 

“How’s tomorrow?” Keith asks dreamily. 

“Is that alright?” Shiro asks, surprised. 

“Or the next day, or the next day, or… any day. Every day.” Keith looks shell-shocked. “Not a trick, right? Not a joke? My God, Shiro. Please yes. Anytime.” 

Shiro coughs, trying to clear his heart from where it thunders in his throat. “I don’t understand,” he manages. 

“I’m not leaving, Shiro. Garrison Housing. I walked here tonight. I... signed a lease. Big backyard. Kosmo wants to get a cat.” 

“But… your mission and the Blades…” Shiro trails off, not quite daring to hope. 

“Yeah, I’ll always be a Blade, but I can be stationed here on Earth as a liaison. I’ll travel again sometime, but for now I’m right where I want to be. I missed home, I missed… a lot of things.” Keith laughs, a little bitter, a little breathless. “I thought for sure I lost my chance years ago, but if that’s what we’re doing, you should know... I’m all in.”

" _Keith_ " Shiro breathes, so happy he can hardly stand it. "Do you... want to come in?" 

"I dunno," Keith says with a devastating grin. "Got any more candy?"


End file.
